1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a safe remote-control door opening-and-closing device for an automotive vehicle and more specifically to a safety device for opening or closing a vehicle door from a remote position. The safety device according to the present invention includes an obstruction sensor for detecting the presence of an obstruction near the vehicle body, if any.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A remote control door for an automotive vehicle implies a vehicle door which can be opened or closed by the driver, at driver's will, when he operates a control switch disposed at a position remote from the door, irrespective of other passenger's will. The remote control door is usually driven by a door-driving force supplied from a power supply such as an electrical, pneumatic, or hydraulic device.
However, in the case where the driver carelessly operates the door open switch to open the door, there inevitably exists a danger such that a walker or a car approaching from behind the vehicle may be obstructed by the opened vehicle door or may collide with the opened vehicle door, the opened door may hit a person standing near the vehicle or may push down a child. Further, there may arise such an accident that the opened door hits something (such as a road wall, vehicle, building, etc.), with the result that the remote control door open-and-close mechanism is damaged or the vehicle body surface is dented.
As described above, in the prior-art remote control door opening-and-closing device, there exists a problem in that when the door is carelessly opened, various accidents such as collision, injury, damage, etc. may occur due to the opened vehicle door.